Duterte cites ‘legal reason’ behind order to ignore probe

President Duterte on Saturday said that there is a “legal reason” behind his order to the police to ignore any investigators from the United Nations who may come to the country to look into the deaths and alleged human rights violations in the war against drugs.

Duterte made the statement a day after UN Human Rights Council chief Prince of Jordan Zeid Ra’ad al-Husein said that Duterte needs to undergo a psychiatric evaluation for his tirades against Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings Agnes Callamard and for the petition to tag as a terrorist Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Victoria Tauli-Corpuz.

Duterte, in a speech before soldiers and police in Zamboanga City, cited the Constitution’s provision on self-incrimination.

“Por Dios, kayong mga ugok, if you are investigating us, the rule sa criminal law is any statement or answer that you may give might incriminate you,” he said.

Duterte said that the UN may find something to pin the police down for the deaths and alleged human rights violations if they catch them giving different statements.

“Kung isang commander magsalita siya, magsalita siya, magsalita siya, magsalita kayo, there will never be a uniformity in the answer,” Duterte explained. “Marami talagang butas makikita ‘yan because we are not situated in the same situation or similarly situated at one time. It’s gonna be convoluted. Then that places us in jeopardy. Eh kung mag shut-up ka lang.” (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)